Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian on Wednesday urged Japan to completely and thoroughly destroy all its abandoned chemical weapons in China, stressing that it is a non-deferrable international obligation for Tokyo.

Wednesday marks the 29th anniversary of the entry into force of the Chemical Weapons Convention. Lin made the remarks in response to reports regarding the repeated delays in Japan's destruction plan for its abandoned chemical weapons in China, which were supposed to be completed by 2007 under the convention.

"The chemical weapons abandoned by Japan in China are one of the serious crimes committed by Japanese militarism during its war of aggression against China, and they still pose threats to the lives, properties and ecological security of the Chinese people to this day," Lin said.

He emphasized that the complete destruction of these weapons is an international obligation that Japan must fulfill.

He noted that China has repeatedly urged Japan—in accordance with the Chemical Weapons Convention and the memorandum of understanding between the two countries—to fully and thoroughly destroy all of its chemical weapons abandoned in China at an early date.

"We once again demand that Japan face up to its historical and realistic responsibilities, fulfill its obligations under the convention, provide full information on the locations of the abandoned weapons and increase its investment to accelerate the disposal of these weapons," Lin said, urging efforts to return clean land to the Chinese people, and to remove the biggest obstacle to achieving a world free of chemical weapons.